I’ve not read chick-lit for some time now, but in the current climate I needed something light- hearted, and who better to turn to than Jenny Colgan.
This book tackled some serious issues, had some heart in mouth moments, but was also funny in places and had the happy ending I was hoping for. I do wish the transplant subject had been covered a little more, but hopefully there will be a sequel!

I adore Jenny Colgan. Her books are never a disappointment!

Lissa witnesses a traumatic accident in London and ends up swapping jobs with a Nurse, Cormac, based in the Scottish Highlands. Being a Glasgow City girl I have always dreamed of living in the Highlands so this story was fantastic to read. Read about how Lissa and Cormac adapt to their new lives and how the relationship between them develops. A fantastic lighthearted warm story that leaves you all fuzzy inside.

I loved this story, I really did and I struggled to put it down; it was totally addictive. The build-up in the story was fantastic and had me hanging on there right to the end. Set in London and the little town of Kirrinfeif in the Scottish Highlands, it really is a story of contrasts. I loved the comparison between the two places and how they both affected and grew on the two main characters.

The characters were great, beautifully crafted and I fell in love with them both. I really felt for Lissa, her experiences in London and how they affected her, leaving her terrified, were so well written I could feel her terror. Cormac, well Cormac is wonderful. I really enjoyed his reaction to being in London, how the hustle and bustle compared with his quiet home.

This being the third book in the Scottish Book Shop series.it was lovely to catch up with Nina and Zoe too. I just love this little town and all the marvellous characters.

I cannot recommend this story highly enough, it was a joy to read. I do hope there will be more stories from Kirrinfeif.

What a find! I really enjoyed this romantic novel and thought that the story flowed seamlessly and kept me engaged throughout the entire journey.

Lissa works in London as a Nurse Practitioner, and witnesses the deliberate mowing down of a 15 year old boy. She blames herself for not doing enough to save him, particularly as she knows him. She cant do her job properly so is advised to take a job swap 500 miles away.
Cormac is the other half of the swap. He’s an ex army medic, and is dealing with the after effects of tours in war zones.

This is a really interesting read, covering PTSD, City versus Country and Organ Donation. Jenny Colgan handled all the subjects beautifully and realistically. Her descriptions of the Highlands would make most people want to live there, and reaffirmed for me that I really wouldn’t want to live in London., although it’s great for a visit. The characters were very well written, with depth and personality. I loved Kim-Ange and would certainly read about her story. It’s a book i couldn’t decide if I wanted to read it all in one sitting or try to eke it out to enjoy for longer. I opted for the 2nd option.

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I loved this heartwarming book in the Scottish Bookshop series. It was lovely to meet former characters again - Zoe, Lennox and Nina. This was another delightful book by an author I really enjoy.

This book revolves two medical practitioners who swop roles for a 3 month period - between London and the Highlands. It affects both of them profoundly. The book deals with some hard issues - addiction, poverty, crime and the effects of trauma. You see their stories develop and intertwine to a positive ending.

A book I will be recommending.

This seems a little different from Jenny Colgan's usual book with its dealing with some pretty difficult issues such as PTSD and organ donation and also the fact that the two romantic leads are in different parts of the UK for almost the whole book. The start and end of the book, which deal with the tragic and traumatic event that leads to Lissa taking a job swap in the Highlands, were very powerfully written and a little emotional at times. It was great to see both characters struggle to adapt to a totally different style of living and initially hating it before their perceptions change. There as a great new character in Kim-Ange but I felt she wasn't utilised enough. I really liked the pictures that Cormac sent as part of his texts to Lissa and they added a new dimension to the story. Overall, I loved the story but was a little sad that the end as kind of left hanging a little. Would they work out? Hopefully they'll be another story set in the village so we can find out.

Jenny’s writing is a breath of fresh air in the best of times, and even moreso now! Lovely characters and locations, excellent storytelling and a great feel good feel really brings this novel to life.

I just loved this book! It was like revisiting an old friend - I can always count on Jenny Colgan for an uplifting read.

The book combined familiar and new faces and locations, which kept things fresh. The plot was always engaging and the characters were likeable, entertaining and varied. It started with a very sad and traumatic event and Jenny Colgan's portrayal of how the protagonist came to terms with this was sensitive, gentle and realistic. Not giving anything away, I particularly liked the ending!

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. It was very easy to award this book 5 stars.

Jenny colgan is one of my all time favourite authors as I adore her subject matter and way of writing!
Five hundred miles from you is a total delight from start to finish a real cosy treat to cuddle up with perfect escapism !
Such a treat to be back in Scotland in kirrinfief and to be reunited with some familiar characters it’s like coming home!
Lisa a nurse in London and cormack a nurse in kirrinfief swap roles after Lisa experiences a traumatic event in London, what follows is the trials and tribulations as they experience work and living 500 miles apart! Initially neither of them warm to their new surroundings but over time this changes and gradually they are absorbed into their new communities and begin forging a friendship via text and email and in doing so find they have a lot in common!
This book illustrates the restorative powers of change friendship and deserving a second chance! A great book that I would highly recommend.
Thank you net galley for this early read.

Five Hundred Miles From You by Jenny Colgan a five-star read you would go Five thousand miles for. This is number three in the Scottish Bookshop series but they truly can be read as stand-alone as I haven’t read the other two as I didn’t realise it was a series, I will be going back to read them though as I adored this one and if they are about who I think they are I can’t wait to hear more. This is a moving story and shows how life can change in an instant, and how everyone should carry a donor card, I have carried one for over 25 years now and live in Wales so even if I don’t have my card on me I know my wishes will still be followed. But that’s not all this novel is about, its about dealing with the aftermath of life and fixing the broken pieces back together again. Reading about Lissa and Cormac as they swap roles and email back and forth with patient updates made me smile, but it was the doodles that did me in, they just made me catch the light and showed me a different side to the story one that made the sunshine come out. Even after a few false starts through the fair and a fancy bar I loved seeing where this story ended I enjoyed this so much.

I loved it. I’m always a huge fan of Jenny’s books and could wait for another visit to Scotland. I loved meeting Cormac and Lissa and seeing how their lives were changed so rapidly whilst on their job swap. I loved the cameos from characters from previous book. I loved Kim-Ange. I can’t wait for more.

Is there anything more comforting than a book by Jenny Colgan? Perhaps the perfect novel to curl up with during the Covid-19 pandemic, Colgan transports you to Scotland and the world of warm scones, cozy sweaters, and roaring fires. Another triumph from Jenny Colgan, and one I'm sad is over!

Lissa is a nurse practitioner working a stressful job in London when something happens and she gets overwhelmed she’s offered the chance to exchange jobs with Cormac who does the same job in the wilds of Scotland overlooking Loch Ness. To say it’s a culture shock for both of them is an understatement , used to the anonymity of London Lissa struggles with everyone knowing who she is before they even meet her and Cormac who knows everyone and is used to chatting to people can’t understand Londoners. They communicate with each other through text message and start to look forward to hearing from the other.

Jenny Colgan books are always entertaining and always make me want to explore Scotland more.

A perfect read for difficult times

LOVED IT.......

Lissa is a nurse in London, until a tragic incident takes place. She cant seem to shake the horror she witnessed. Lissa then is asked to recoup by swapping jobs with another Nurse from Scotland. Cormac ex army, and now a Nurse in Scotland, swaps roles with Lissa in hope of learning new things. Can Lissa ever get over the overwhelming incident she saw? Can Cormac be happy in the big smoke?

Absolutely gripping, Could not put it down.

Clear your diary and grab a cuppa. Enjoy.

Jenny Colgan has always been one of my go to authors since she blew me away with one of my all time favourite books Meet me at the Cupcake Café and I trust in her writing so much that I jump at each new release of hers and dive into her books without even reading the synopsis.
Jenny Colgan’s new release Five Hundred Miles from You is another great read that follows two lead characters Lissa and Cormac who are both Nurse Practitioner Liaisons but work at opposite ends of the country. When Lissa witnessed a hit and run that had a drastic and traumatic effect on her it was put in place that the pair would job swap for three months giving Lissa the chance to work in a slower and calmer environment whilst allowing Cormac to challenge his skills in the hectic surroundings and sights of London.
We are reconnected with some much loved characters from The Bookshop on the Shore, Zoe and her family and the loveable Nina and her book van which was a lovely touch to be able to catch back up with these characters to see how their lives are progressing and they are definitely the kind of women Lissa needed around her at this difficult time in her life. Don’t be put off by reading this book if you haven’t read The Bookshop on the Shore as it is a complete stand alone, the author often weaves characters from previous novels into her storyline as her characters are so engaging, they are hard to just leave behind.
The storyline does touch on the importance of transplants and the thoughts behind them from both sides from making that decision to donate your loved one’s organs to the desperate hope on the other side of awaiting for a donor to come up to save a loved one.
The storyline highlights the different pace of life, the pros and cons between country and city life and we watch Lissa begin to unwind and see the beauty of living in the country but never quite sure if the appeal of the city will pull her back in.
I loved watching the connection between Lissa and Cormac grow and having the added little illustrations was a great touch provided by Cormac!
This was a wonderful light read with short sharp chapters and a storyline that gripped me and characters that I found engaging.

Firstly I would love to say a massive thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for allowing me to read an eARC of this book. Jenny Colgan is honestly one of my favourite authors so I may have squealed a bit when I got approved for this one!

Ohh okay, this book had me crying in the first few chapters and then again at the end. I was literally full on streaming with tears. I would definitely say that compared to her other books, this is a lot more emotional and hard-hitting at times. This starts of with a very serious tragedy and the main charater Lissa, struggling to cope with the aftermath. I do think this portrayal was done well, although the character Lissa could be annoying at times with her general attitude. Why is she always so baffled when people speak to her? She's from London not the bloody moon.

I love the cameo's we got from Zoe and Nina in this book; although I wouldn't say it's vital to read those books before reading this one, it definitely gives you some context for some of the things in this story and I love those other books so definitely recommend reading them.

The only reason I have rated this book four stars rather than five is the ending. We spend the whole book seeing the love story build between Lissa and Cormac but we never truly get to see the ending of it. Instead it changes into some weird comical sketch, which was quite jarring as the rest of the book hasn't had that theme, with near misses and communication issues. I feel that we really missed out on actually seeing them togeter and communicate about what had happened; it just felt a bit rushed and I would have liked another chapter about them before that final chapter which had me sobbing again.

I definitely recommend this book and it's out the 28th May 2020 for you to check out for yourselves!

I think this might be my favourite Jenny Colgan book! I loved the premise of it and how the characters communicated. I fell in love with Cormac! This is the perfect book for a holiday read! If you are cocooning due to coronavirus, this is the ultimate escapism book!